Coastal Commission vote one of project's last hurdles

A decision that could reshape how people travel along North County’s crowded Interstate 5 corridor is fast approaching.

During its meeting in San Diego next month, the California Coastal Commission is expected to cast a pivotal vote on the North Coast Corridor project, a $6.5 billion package of freeway, rail, bicycle, pedestrian and environmental improvements from La Jolla to Camp Pendleton.

The most controversial piece is a four-lane expansion of I-5, which is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit by critics who say coastal transit should be bolstered first, before any concrete is poured for freeway widening.

The commission’s staff released a report early this month recommending approval of the whole package, including the freeway lanes.

Yes
74% (1730)

No
26% (597)

2327 total votes.

A green light from commissioners in August would mean the massive public works project could start construction as early as next year, though it would take 30 to 40 years to complete all phases. It would mark a victory for Caltrans, the agency leading the project, and those eager for more space on the gridlocked interstate.

The new lanes, called express lanes, would be added to the middle of the freeway, creating a 27-mile express lanes corridor costing an estimated $3.5 billion. Like North County’s I-15 express lanes, the new lanes would be open to carpools, buses, motorcycles, select clean air vehicles and toll-paying solo drivers.

Critics say Caltrans and SANDAG, the region’s transportation planning agency, have refused to consider a ‘transit first’ approach to solving the I-5 corridor’s traffic crunch. The proposal before the commission requires the construction of a second coastal rail track, pieces of which are already under construction, while the freeway widening takes place, but not before the lanes are added.

That’s a short-sighted and flawed approach, says Jack Shu, president of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, the Descanso-based nonprofit suing Caltrans over the proposed interstate widening.

“We’ve tried expanding freeways in so many other places in California and we know the results: It reduces congestion for two to four years max, and then it returns,” Shu said.

The foundation filed its lawsuit last December in San Diego Superior Court. The suit says the new I-5 lanes will lead to “an enormous surge in greenhouse gas emissions,” counter to what Caltrans’ final environmental report concludes.

Shu said attorneys are continuing to gather information but no court date has been set.

Should the commission approve the project in August, construction could start on several freeway, rail, bicycle and pedestrian improvements as early as 2015 --- even if the lawsuit remains unresolved, according to a SANDAG spokeswoman.

Near-term projects include adding one carpool lane in each direction along Interstate 5 from Manchester Avenue in Encinitas to State Route 78 in Oceanside; replacing the San Elijo and Batiquitos lagoon bridges; construction of a direct ramp onto the freeway’s carpool lanes at Manchester Avenue; adding a second rail track along a 5.3-mile stretch of the coastal rail line; and building bike and pedestrian trails across the project area’s lagoons.

The transportation package will rely on federal, state and regional funding, including TransNet, the county’s half cent sales tax for transportation.

Transportation leaders have defended the project saying it “creates a balanced transportation system that provides for improved travel choices for the region, reduces congestion, enhances coastal lagoons, preserves sensitive environmental resources, and creates better connectivity to the coast.”

Caltrans officials have long maintained the freeway widening is necessary to handle more than 300,000 vehicle trips expected on North County’s I-5 each weekday by 2030, up from the 200,000 trips it handles now.

The freeway is notoriously gridlocked during weekday rush hours and increasingly on weekends.

Officials said this week they were pleased by the commission’s staff recommendation of the project.

“This is a great step forward and pending the Coastal Commission’s approval this August, we look forward to implementing a package of transportation, community and resource enhancements for the North Coast Corridor as early as next year,” Laurie Berman, Caltrans San Diego-based director, said in a statement.

San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox, who is the San Diego region’s representative on the Coastal Commission, could not be reached for comment. His spokesman said Cox has not publicly stated his position on the project.

The commission’s meeting is set for August 13-15 at the Catamaran Resort, 3999 Mission Blvd., San Diego.

The public can comment on the commission’s staff report through July 16. Comments can be emailed to NCCPWP@coastal.ca.gov or sent to the San Diego District Office, 7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 103, San Diego CA 92108. Questions may be directed to Coastal staff Gabriel Buhr or Kanani Brown at 619-767-2370.